Woodrow Wilson [Paperback]

J.A. Thompson (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582247373 | ISBN-13: 978-0582247376 | Publication Date: June 13, 2002 | Edition: 1

 Most famous in Europe for his efforts to establish the League of Nations under US leadership at the end of the First World War, Woodrow Wilson stands as one of America¿s most influential and visionary presidents. A Democrat who pursued progressive domestic policies during his first term in office, he despised European colonialism and believed that the recipe for world peace was the self-determination of all peoples, particularly those under the yoke of the vast Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires.  His efforts to resist heavy reparations on Germany fell on deaf ears, while the refusal of France, Russia and Britain to accept a League of Nations led by America, together with the US Senate¿s refusal to ratify the League, led to its ultimate failure.  Woodrow Wilson has traditionally been seen by both admirers and critics as an idealist and a heroic martyr to the cause of internationalism. But John Thompson takes a different view, arguing that  Wilson was a pragmatist, whose foreign policy was flexible and responsive to pressures and events.  His conclusion, that Wilson was in fact an exceptionally skilful politician, who succeeded in maintaining national unity whilst leading America onto the world stage for the first time in its history, offers a challenging interpretation for anyone interested in the man and his era.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is a book that, while being accessible to studnets, will be stimulating to scholars.  It is a valuable contribution to Wilsonian scholarship.'

The Journal of Southern History, Feb 2004

From the Back Cover

As President of the United States, 1913-21, Woodrow Wilson directed American foreign policy during the First World War, leading the United States into the conflict in 1917 and playing a major role at the Paris peace conference. He is one of the most significant figures of twentieth century history.

This profile, which is based upon the recently-completed publication of the Wilson Papers, presents a fresh view of his career. It provides an integrated interpretation of his academic career as a political scientist and university president, his style as a domestic politician and his conduct of foreign policy - topics that have generally been treated separately and very differently. It shows that, from an early age, Wilson's chief interest was in the nature of political leadership in a democracy, and describes the great success he enjoyed when he had an opportunity to practice this role himself. Although his ultimate failure to persuade the Senate to accept the League of Nations has left a misleading impression that Wilson was an unrealistic visionary, it took great political skill to lead a largely united country into its first major attempt to shape the world beyond the Western Hemisphere. Thompson¿s book presents an alternative, more rounded and ultimately more positive portrait of this major President, showing that he was a very able and pragmatic politician.

John S. Thompson is Fellow of St Catharine¿s College, Cambridge. He is the author of `Reformers and War:American Progressive Publicists and the First World War¿ (1987).

 

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 1 edition (June 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582247373
• ISBN-13: 978-0582247376
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A New Look at Woodrow Wilson, June 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Woodrow Wilson (Paperback)

"Wilsonianism" has defined, and in many ways imprisoned, American foreign policy since the end of World War I. But what if Wilsonianism was the product of pragmatic, ad hoc, political considerations rather than an idealistic grand strategy?

In his marvelous and very readable study of the statecraft of President Woodrow Wilson, John A Thompson argues that Wilson blended certain idealistic values with hard political realities in his response to World War I. Thompson's book, while brief, is comprehensive: it begins with Wilson's childhood, takes the reader through his career as an academic and later President of Princeton University, discusses his term as Governor of New Jersey, and finally delves into the domestic and international aspects of the Wilson presidency.

This book will appeal to general readers, particularly those who wish to be better informed about the Wilson presidency, as well as academic specialists.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Undoubtedly the best short life of Woodrow Wilson in print, July 16, 2002

By 

"ejmccarthy" (St Paul, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Woodrow Wilson (Paperback)

It may come as a surprise to many American readers that it has fallen to a British scholar (from the prestigious University of Cambridge) to write such a lively, elegant and thoughtful study of one of America's greatest Presidents. But those who have followed Thompson's earlier work on Progressivism will know what a fine writer he is.

Here he follows Wilson's career through all the highs and lows of political life, deftly sketching a powerful pen-portrait of Woodrow Wilson the tortured man even as he skilfully demonstrates just why Wilson was such a pivotal figure in American political history. The writing is crisp, the pacing never flags, and Thompson's conclusions are both striking and convincing. A powerful read, and in the current climate, perhaps an instructive one. Buy it, read it, and send a copy to the White House.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful achievement !, July 28, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Woodrow Wilson (Paperback)

John A. Thompson, author of the Reformers and War: American Progressives Publicists and the First World War (1987)and a leading authority on the Progessive Era and First World War, has written a superb and compact biography of Woodrow Wilson, the best one-volume biography of Wilson that we have. Thompson's insightful account focuses on Wilson's leadership style and assesses both its strengths and weaknesses. As president of Princeton, governor of New Jersey, and president of the United States, Wilson exhibited both firmness and flexibility, and idealism and a practicality. Examining the abilities and the limits of political leadership in American democracy, Thompson carefully weighs the degree to which Wilson's successes and failures were a result of his own actions and a consequence of other factors beyond his control. This is a masterful achievement.